“Take nice even breaths. You’ll get used to it.”
He was trying to comfort her, but it wasn’t working. All she heard was that they would do this again. Her spirit of adventure would kick in once they completed this run.
“Liberating gems?”
He turned to look at her. His eyes were shining, and his fangs were extended. She laughed getting caught up in his excitement.
They brought the shuttle down in an isolated spot.
“We have two hours to get the gems and get back here,” Slade told them.
Every head nodded before the door opened, and they stepped off.
“Quinn you’re with Phoenix and me.”
“The three amigos’.” Now that she was standing on foreign soil it was becoming real, and she was excited about seeing a different world.
They walked for about ten minutes until the trees gave way and she stared at spirals coming from the sky.
“The Abas are a warrior planet, but they are also technically advanced. Look over to the left. That big structure you see is a landing facility for the various ships that come and go some for business others for pleasure. That’s where we should have landed. The Aba believe no one can beat them, so they don’t worry about security.”
“Foolish.” She thought about her apartment. Security would always be something she thought about in a new situation.
They walked out and joined a stream of people. She was using that word lightly because everyone looked different. There were even some that looked human. Which is why she didn’t look out of place.
“We think they are a sister world to your planet.”
She nodded as she watched one being that stood about twelve feet tall with two heads.
“It turned to look at her. His two eyes became four. Mekhi pulled her behind him as it opened one of its mouths to hiss and the other to show huge fangs.
“They don’t like to be stared at. It also won’t like it if I liberate one of its heads.” His hand settled on the knife at his thigh. The being hissed again but moved on much faster.
“You call it, it?”
He made a sound she couldn’t interrupt.
“That’s the name of the species. They do not identify with genders. So, it is standard to call them, it. It is also standard to take a head when they attack. To kill them, you have to take both heads. Remember that.”
They walked up to a hovercraft floating above the ground and opened it up.
“You leave your vehicle here?”
“We do. They are sure they are the superior race, so they don't look for things like vehicles that haven't moved in months.” Mekhi told her, but his voice didn’t match the smile on his face or the deadness in his eyes.
After she sat, she took his hand.
“Why do you come back?”
“I could make sure the males responsible for my brother’s deaths are never born. I know which line they are descended from. To do that would be to change the course of destiny for the galaxy.” He looked at her his eyes were turning red. “I don’t care Quinn. I want them all to die.”
She squeezed his hand. There was no way she could understand his pain, but if she could go back and somehow interrupt the day her father died. She would do it. The world or the galaxy would have to live with it.
“Maybe while you’re liberating gems, you can get something nice for me.”
He turned and gave her a real smile. The blue overtook the red in his eyes.
“I can do that.”
When the hover came to a stop, she gasped. They were over a small city with spirals that went hundreds of feet into the air. The people reminded her of several bigfoot drawings she had seen. They stood over fourteen feet and were covered with hair most of it white, but there were spots of random color on their coats. They possessed short serrated teeth with black eyes.
“I think I might have nightmares later. Are these the Abas?”
“They are.”
They were hovering outside a tall spiral. “Where are we?”
“The Palace.” A walkway extended from the hover to a small door.
“The servant's entrance,” Mekhi told her.
She nodded and followed him and Phoenix praying the whole way she didn’t fall. They were too far up for her to calculate the height. One look up and she forgot where she was too busy figuring the design of the building in front of her. She was trying to figure out how to incorporate some of it into her next project.
She turned to look at Mekhi; he had changed forms, and so had all the brothers. There was a lump in her throat that she had to fight past. Deep breaths she said as she pulled herself together and walked down the hallway like she belonged with a group of aliens.
They spoke a language she couldn’t understand to the Aba that passed by and several aliens.
“Everyone we passed are servants and assumed we are new servants or guards. They mind their business it is the only way to stay alive in the castle.”
An alarm went off making her jump. Mekhi grabbed her and ran a sound coming from him that sounded like an animal laughing.
She looked behind her to see a group of warriors coming down a hall. He stopped and threw her at the ceiling. Phoenix caught her and pulled her up before he joined them.
“We don’t have much time.”
“Where are we?”
“The royal vault,” Phoenix told her.
“Where is everyone else?”
“They had different targets. I’m looking for a gem for my mate.”
“You’re a mercenary?”
He grinned and nodded. “Don’t forget Assassin.”
She had never stolen anything in her life. For most of it she had followed the rules and believed she would be rewarded for her good conduct. Mekhi was her reward, and now he was teaching her to live a little.
She moved around the vault until something caught her eyes. The moment she saw it; she had to have it. Without thought, she grabbed it and placed it in the small bag attached to her pants.
“Are you ready?” Mekhi and Phoenix asked her. Their voices were so calm she knew they were in trouble.
“I am.” Their bags were bulging. All she could do was smile because their eyes were glittering.
Mekhi grabbed her and placed her behind him when she reached them. They went down on a knee and were still taller than her. The door flew open, and they started firing as the Aba warriors ran into the room.
“Be prepared to run. Now!”
She was right behind them but couldn’t keep up. She got lost. A hand reached out and pulled her into a room.
She fumbled for her gun.
“Don’t bother you’d be dead before you pulled it.” The male who spoke was half her size. “What were they thinking to bring you here?”
“That I could run faster?”
He turned jade green eyes to her and smiled. She blinked, and he was as tall as she was.
“It’s helpful when you can change the size of your body. I guess that’s not a trick you can teach me.”
“Nope, you're stuck being vertically challenged.”
“Never bothered me until I lived in a household with males well over six feet. Can you help me get back to them?”
“Yes, and we had better go. I doubt he will hold it together for long.”
“You know Mekhi?”
“I do, but he doesn’t know me, and I want to keep it that way. Give me your hand.”
She took a step back. He snarled and grew taller and thicker. He grabbed her hand. Pain attacked her until she collapsed on the floor.
“I can’t have random humans dying in my territory. Damn Created,” He spewed as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
“Meet The Broken, he said. You’ll like them. One day, I’ll pay him back.”
There was disjointed laughter in the room, and he shook his head as he shrank down to the size of an ant and took Quinn with him.
He ran down the corridors passing the guards wh
o were cussing and swearing they would kill the intruders this time. Some of the tortures were inventive, and he added them to his list.
There was a loud roar as The Created got to the hover. He laid Quinn on the walkway and backed away as Mekhi came running out. He almost fell to avoid stepping on her.
“Let’s go,” Slade called out.
Not seeing anyone he picked her up and ran for the hover, guards on his heels. He jumped several feet landing inside the hover before Akron pulled the walkway in sending the guards to their deaths.
“That was close,” Phoenix said looking over his shoulder at Quinn.
“Too close. Tiny warrior, are you okay?”
She made a fist and hit him in the chest. “If you ever leave me behind again, you’re sleeping in the den.”
They laughed while Mekhi pulled her close. “Never. If we run, I’ll be carrying you.”
“Darn straight. Did we get away?”
“Yeah.”
She threw her head back and laughed.
Chapter Twenty-two
“Tell me about the male who helped you?”
Although they said they would only be gone a few hours, time seemed to travel differently between the two planets. It was late at night when they got back. They hit an all-night diner and went home to sleep. Now that she was up Mekhi was asking about the person who saved her yesterday.
“He could change his body size.”
“What did he look like? What color were his eyes?”
She was sitting in a chair in their bedroom. The more he asked questions, the more agitated she felt until she stood up and walked out the room.
“Quinn?”
“I can’t remember. I looked at him, but I can’t remember. All I can think of is the momentary pain.”
“Pain?” Mekhi’s eyes were changing, and his teeth were lengthening.
“Are you trying to scare me?” Because yeah it was working. He should know she wouldn’t stay with someone who tried to intimidate her.
She marched up to him and poked a finger into his chest.
“Is this how you treat your mate? I thought you cared for me.” Her voice went higher as she spoke. How could she be such a fool? She backed him against the wall shouting at him.
“How could you!”
“What did I do Quinn?”
“You tried to scare me.”
“Then why am I the one against the wall?”
She looked up her eyes were a little wild. He took her finger and brought it up to his mouth.
“I’m broken Quinn; I'm not a fool.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her until her shaking stopped.
“Forgive me.”
“You did nothing wrong. You’re learning to live with a male that’s different from you. I raised my voice a little because I was scared. I’ve only felt that way once. Some species can make sure you don’t remember who they are. Let’s assume he’s one of those.”
She nodded against his chest.
“It won’t be easy all the time.”
“I’ve only met one group of created that were mated. They seemed to get along well, but the females laughed and said it looks easy when you’ve done it for hundreds of years.”
“Umm, what?” She lifted her head and looked at him.
He gave her a blank stare.
“What do you mean hundreds of years?”
“We have a long-life span. No one knows for sure, but we’ll live for several more centuries.”
“We? Centuries?” He nodded his head and looked at her.
“Don’t you think you should have told me this?”
He looked at her and shook his head, not sure what to say.
She stepped back and took his hand. They went to sit on the couch in the living room.
“I don’t know what to say.” She laid down and placed her head on his lap. “We’re combining two different worlds it won’t always be easy, but I’m up to the challenge.”
Her eyes closed. A sound of a phone ringing opened them.
“That’s my phone.” He jogged back to the bedroom to answer it.
“Hello. They’re on the move?” He walked back to the living room and looked at Quinn. “It has to be today? I understand.”
He hung up the phone and sat back down.
“I almost forgot you had a cell phone. I never hear it ring.”
“It’s for emergencies and beautiful construction workers.”
“That was the government.”
“Yes, there’s a job I need to complete. It has to be done today.”
“Is it an odd or an end?”
“An end.”
“It will take two days but I’ll try to get it done today.”
“Do what you have to. Tee and I will be fine. We’re going to my mom’s in a while to have lunch.”
“Quinn.” She placed a finger against his lips.
“I’ll tell her you got called away on business. She’ll understand, and you can meet her another time.”
He gathered her close and kissed her. “I need to have a meeting with the others I’ll be back shortly.”
“I’ll take a shower and get ready. Make sure you talk to Tee about not scaring my mom.”
“I will.”
*~*~*~*
“I have no idea why I’m nervous Tee, but I am.” She was sitting in her mom’s driveway. “We better get going. If she has to look out those curtain’s one more time, I’m going to be in serious trouble.”
She got out the truck wishing that Mekhi could have come with her. Then she picked up Tee and headed for the front door.
“Mom,” she knocked before she walked in. “I’m here, and your door was open.”
“That’s because you spent the last ten minutes sitting in the truck. Where’s your guy?”
Her mom came into the living room looking beautiful. Quinn couldn’t help but smile. She was a little taller than her mom that wasn’t saying much. They had the same green eyes, but her mom’s hair was a lighter brown.
“Give me Tee.” She took her and walked further into the room: “I miss you Tee, and now I can’t come see you.”
Yeah, her mom knew how to make her feel guilty in every way.
“Of course, you can come and see Tee. We’ll visit more often too.”
“I know honey. Go wash your hands. I don’t want the food to go to waste.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She felt like she was five again.
Walking through the house brought back memories of her dad. And she wondered for the thousandth time why her mom didn’t downsize.
“Something smells good.”
“I made your favorite.”
“Comfort food, meatloaf and mashed potatoes.” That meant her mom never expected her to show up with Mekhi, and she was telling her it would be okay.
“Mom.”
“I’ll always be here for you Quinn.”
Her phone rang. “Answer.”
“Yeah, okay, are you sure?” She turned off her earpiece and handed her mom the phone.
“Phone call for you.”
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Connor?”
“Yes.”
“This is Mekhi. You may remember speaking to me earlier when we talked about Quinn’s apartment.”
“I do.”
“You invited me to lunch today, but I couldn’t make it. I do some work for our government. They called me in at the last minute. I apologize, and I’m looking forward to meeting you. There was something I wanted to tell you.”
“What’s that.”
“I care for Quinn. I won’t lose her like the others before me. She will always have me and so will you. You’re family now. Sorry for interrupting. Can I speak with Quinn?”
Her mom handed her the phone.
“Mekhi?”
“I’ll be home in the morning have a good day with your mom.”
“Thanks, I love you.”
“Did he say he loves you back?”
“No, he belie
ves he can’t love. If he could, he would love me.”
They sat at the table silent for a long time as they ate.
“Your dad thought he couldn’t love. He came from a household where love wasn’t valued. My friends told me I was nuts to stay with him because he would never say he loved me. When we married, he promised his heart even though it was incapable of love.”
“Mom, dad loved you.”
“I know. I can look around and see his love. More importantly, I felt it every time he smiled at me or took me in his arms. He never cheated on me and treated me like I was more precious than any stone you could mine. What I’m saying to you is every man can’t say the words, but that doesn’t mean he’s playing with your heart. I think you’ve found a good one. I hope to meet him soon.”
She got out of her seat and went to hug her mom. This was the first time she ever liked a guy for her, and she hadn’t met him yet.
“Enough of that. I rented a superhero movie that I know you haven’t seen. I thought the three of us could watch it together.”
“Sounds good. You know how Tee loves those movies.” They laughed and cleaned the dishes before sitting down to watch the movie.
“I love you, mom.” Tee was sitting in her mom’s lap acting like the best cat ever, and her mom was knitting. The movie was over, and she was telling Tee about the sweater she would get for Christmas.
“I love you too, baby. It’s getting late you should get ready to leave.”
“It’s not that late mom, but you're right, I should head back to the city. I know why you keep this house, do you think you’ll ever move closer?”
“If you had asked last year, I would have told you no. Now that there’s a chance for grandchildren, I think your dad would want me to be closer to you.”
Quinn blanched. “Mom I’m not thinking about kids.”
“You are now.”
“You’re so evil.”
Her mom just chuckled.
“Did dad ever tell you he loved you?”
“Two weeks after Quintin’s funeral this was delivered to my door.” She showed Quinn the ring that had made her cry for months. “It came with this.”
Mekhi (The Broken Book 1) Page 11